If 2020 Shows Us Anything, This Is A Down Period In The Boston Red Sox New York Yankees Rivalry

Down periods have existed in the historic rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, so seeing one team struggle is not necessarily a new phenomenon.

What transpired this weekend and has gone on in the rivalry of late, is a bit stunning, especially when you consider the Boston Red Sox are less than two years removed from winning their fourth World Series since 2004, a span where the Yankees have won once in 2009.

This weekend might have been the worst the Red Sox have ever looked against the Yankees in sometime, perhaps even worse than the ill-fated 2012 campaign under Bobby Valentine and perhaps even worse than the first weekend of August when they also were swept in a four-game series.

What the Yankees did is up their winning streak in the rivalry to 10 games, something that last happened when Ted Williams was serving in the Korean War in 1952 and 1953. Back then it was a significantly down period for the Red Sox, who made the 1946 World Series, engaged in a classic pennant race with the Yankees in 1949 as highlighted in David Halberstam’s book “The Summer of 49”.

When the Yankees last beat the Red Sox 10 times in a row, the rivalry was one-sided. The Yankees won five straight World Series titles from 1949 to 1953, a stretch where the Yankees were 62-47 in the rivalry. The dominance increased beyond those years as the Yankees were 92-62 over the rest of Williams’ career until 1960.

After Williams retired, the Red Sox were 44-67 against the Yankees until 1967 when they made their “Impossible Dream” run to the World Series. In that magical year they were 12-6 against a version of the Yankees that was 72-90 and featured an aging Mickey Mantle.

And for the Yankees, if you’re of a certain age, you most certainly remember the period between 1989 and 1992, a stretch where the Yankees were combined 288-359 and went 22-29 against the Red Sox. Perhaps the most notable events for the Yankees against the Red Sox occurred when Stump Merrill replaced Bucky Dent as manager in Fenway Park on June 6, 1990 and when Mel Hall hit a walk-off homer against Jeff Reardon on Memorial Day 1991.

Maybe it was the no fans or even lack of media crowds that prompted me to miss a complete Red Sox series at Yankee Stadium for the first time since April 2013 when I had a conflict covering a Nets regular-season game, but the buzz that national television hopes to create was significantly lacking.

In reality, it’s the talent gap, especially on the mound, even though the Red Sox pitched respectable in the last two games.

Gerrit Cole’s first taste of the rivalry did not have him going up against an ace, instead it was against an opener. On Saturday, James Paxton was matched up with Nathan Eovaldi, one of two recognizable names in the Boston rotation. Then Sunday was J.A. Happ pitching with a chip on his shoulder for being skipped which may cost him a vesting option against Chris Mazza, whose claim to fame is being a cousin of Joe DiMaggio. The series ended with youngster Jordan Montgomery against Martin Perez but the Yankees got five innings against the Red Sox bullpen due to a lengthy rain delay.

Even before safety protocols and social distancing became part of the 2020 vocabulary, it was perceived the Red Sox would experience a down year after an 84-win disappointment to follow up their latest title. They traded star Mookie Betts, who promptly signed a 12-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chris Sale was lost for the season due to Tommy John surgery and then the Red Sox made few offseason moves.

Still the belief was that a lineup containing most of the 2018 group would be enough to keep Boston in the mix. Instead, nearly a month into the season, the Red Sox are 6-17, which in a 162-game season translates to a 120-loss pace. And while they are only four games in back of Toronto for the final of the eight playoff spots in the AL, it seems a lot further.

In 2004 as the Yankees flushed away a 3-0 lead in the ALCS, the pitching matchup to save face was a fading Kevin Brown against Derek Lowe. As you might expect it went well for the Red Sox, who coasted to a 10-3 win and the first of their four titles. This is what it looked this weekend when the Yankees took early leads each time and rolled to the four-game sweep.

Of course, Yankee fans aren’t good to feel any pity for the Red Sox and nor should they. The Red Sox choose their direction when they dealt Betts and the result is a 1-12 record against the Rays and Yankees, whom you can argue represent the most accurate depiction of a rivalry in the AL East these days.